Introduction:
Telehealth Without Borders
This project aims to address the critical need for standardized practices in cross-border telehealth by developing a set of minimum standards. The rapid expansion and increasing reliance on telehealth services across international borders has highlighted significant challenges in ensuring consistent quality of care, legal compliance, ethical practices, and technical interoperability. These challenges, if not addressed, could limit the effectiveness, and reach of cross-border telehealth services.
The project will convene a multidisciplinary panel of experts, including healthcare professionals, policymakers, legal experts, ethicists, industry specialists, and representatives from international organizations. Through a series of discussions and interactive sessions, the workshop will focus on synthesizing the findings of the forthcoming 2024 report “Cross-border Telehealth: Policy Considerations” and other relevant research into actionable minimum standards for cross-border telehealth practices.
Key areas of focus will include patient data protection and privacy, address legal and ethical considerations unique to cross-border telehealth, and cover technical standards for interoperability and data security. In addition, the workshop will discuss equitable access to telehealth services, ensuring that the standards developed do not inadvertently exclude or disadvantage any patient population.
The project recognizes the role of telehealth in expanding access to healthcare, particularly in underserved or remote areas, and aims to create a set of minimum standards that support the safe, ethical, and effective delivery of telehealth services worldwide. The outcome of the workshop will be a preliminary set of minimum standards that will guide policy development, influence future telehealth implementations, and ultimately contribute to a more connected and equitable global healthcare system.